


Complications

by combatbootninja



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Cheating, Clothed Sex, M/M, Mentions of past self-harm, Past Child Abuse, Semi-Public Sex, the ofc is barely there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-17 05:10:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5855386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/combatbootninja/pseuds/combatbootninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The two things Aoba hadn't expected to happen when he and Mizuki had gotten a bartending job at a wedding<br/>1) That he would end up sleeping with a total stranger<br/>2) That the stranger would turn out to be the groom</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me mother I have sinned.

To say Aoba was uncomfortable was putting it lightly. It was his first time attending a wedding and despite not even being a guest, he was still nervous for what was to come. He'd already considered bailing out at the start, only to be stopped by the look Mizuki shot at him, clearly begging him to stay instead of leaving the older man alone in the sea of foreigners.

Aoba and Mizuki had been staying in Germany for a few months, working the occasional odd job they could get and scraping by. It wasn't much but it gave them both a sense of freedom, something both men had craved most of their lives living in Midorijima. So when they got the chance to leave and move to Europe for a few months they jumped the opportunity, which ended up leading them there.

Aoba just wished 'there' would include a bit less formal wear and people who looked like their Coils and AllMates were worth more money than everything Aoba owned put together. But a gig was a gig, and Aoba had promised to help Mizuki out as much as he could despite not knowing all that much about bartending.

“So. Which one do you think is the groom?” Mizuki asked, shoving an elbow gently against Aoba's ribs to get his attention. He was dressed similar to Aoba, with a white dress shirt and black slacks. The only difference was the black apron he had on, a necessity for someone actually mixing the ordered drinks. Aoba was just there to serve when needed. The younger man looked at the crowd of people waiting in the reception area.

“Shouldn't he be getting ready right now? The wedding's supposed to start in less than an hour,” he said, but his eyes were still curiously scanning the crowd just in case. Mizuki simply shrugged before turning his attention back to the tall glasses he was cleaning, swiftly wiping them clean. Aoba managed to locate one familiar face in the sea of people – a blond, young man who was the reason they were here in the first place. Apparently it was his brother getting married, Aoba recalled. As to why he would hire two random foreigners who barely spoke German to such a high profile event, he had to clue. But it paid well, the sum that was promised to them nearly as much as all their previous jobs combined. There really was no way to turn an offer like that down.

The man, Theo – Aoba seemed to recall, turned around just in time to see Aoba staring at him and gave him a bright smile and a wave of his hand before turning back to his current conversation.

–

Aoba was leaning on the counter, head resting on the palm of his hand. Mizuki had gone to the bathroom a moment ago and left him to look after the makeshift bar. Aoba was just hoping there would be no customers in the meanwhile, at least not ones who ordered those complicated drinks Aoba could only dream of making. So far it had been pretty quiet. Probably no one wanted to get drunk before the ceremony even began, Aoba figured. But just as he was about to start fiddling with his coil under the counter, a swift movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A man had sat down in one of the stools at the far end of the bar, and was now staring at Aoba with a disinterested look on his face. He looked like a guest, Aoba figured, all suited up and blond hair carefully slicked back. Straightening up his posture, he looked around for Mizuki before walking over to the man and shooting him the best customer service smile he had.

As he got closer he couldn't help but notice how beautiful the man was with his smooth hair and lime green eyes that seemed both bright and pale at the same time. The piercings on his face glistened under the bright lighting, so very unfitting with the rest of the man's appearance. Aoba struggled a bit as he tried to find the right words.

“W-what can I get you?” His voice was unsure and quiet, trying to hide his thick accent as best as he could. He realised his attempt had failed terribly as the corner of the blond man's lips quirked up just slightly as he continued to stare at him. At first it seemed like he wasn't even blinking and Aoba wondered if there was something on his face that made the other man look at him so intently. The man spoke just as he was about to lift a hand to rub at his face.

“There's nothing wrong with your face,” the voice was low and barely above a whisper, yet Aoba understood him perfectly clear. Was that...?

“You speak Japanese?” Aoba asked, nearly gaping at the stranger. The man shrugged before looking around. It seemed like he was trying to find someone at first but after a moment he turned back to Aoba.

“What's your name?” Aoba was thrown back at the sudden question, arching an eyebrow but answering nonetheless. He didn't want to admit it but the way the man was looking at him so intensely but still nonchalantly was making his ears hot. He hoped the rest of his face wasn't showing it.

“It's Aoba. What's yours?” He shot back the same question, expecting an answer but what he got instead was another look that had blood pooling to his cheeks.

“Well, Aoba,” the man wasn't smiling but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. “There's still some time before anything happens. Wanna get out of here for a while?” Despite being mostly monotonous, the suggestiveness in his voice was hard to miss. Who the hell did he think he was, waltzing in and suggesting stuff anyone else wouldn't even have thought about saying to a complete stranger? Now Aoba was definitely blushing, albeit more from annoyance than anything else. He steeled himself, prepared to give the guy an earful, but instead what came out of his mouth was a quiet “Okay”. Wait, what?

Aoba snapped his mouth shut in an instant, eyes wide. He was about to correct himself but the other man was already getting up and leaning over the counter.

“There's a supply closet in the hallway. Don't keep me waiting, Aoba,” the way he whispered his name into his ear was intentionally heated, going straight down Aoba's body where it rested deep in his stomach. He let out an involuntary whimper as he watched the man turn around and walk away. Soon enough he disappeared into the mass of people, leaving behind a very confused and conflicted Aoba.

It only took another twenty seconds for Mizuki to show up, immediately apologizing for taking so long. He'd gotten lost along the way (seriously, how huge was this place?) and the large groups of people had been less than helpful.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Mizuki asked after a moment of silence. It wasn't until then that Aoba realised he had been zoning out, distracted by the thoughts about the blond man.

“Yeah, sorry. I'm gonna, uh, I'm gonna go get some fresh air, is that okay?” Aoba asked. Mizuki had barely finished nodding his head when he was already moving, slowly heading towards the entrance where he distantly remembered the closet to be.

Now, the thing was this. Aoba quite literally couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten laid or even done anything remotedly sexual. So it was only natural to be this frustrated and easily affected, he told himself. It almost became somewhat of a mantra to him and by the time he reached the entrance, he had nearly convinced himself about it.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced around once more to see if anyone was looking before walking to the door, hand grasping on the shiny knob. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this.

Before he could think any further the door opened from the inside and a pair of hands grabbed him only to pull him inside.

The man's lips were on his neck as soon as the door closed behind them, leaving them inside the dimly lit closet. Aoba was surprised how big it actually was, easily fitting two grown men inside. He didn't have much willpower to look around though, not when the lips on his neck started sucking gently on the sensitive skin, forcing Aoba to grab the man's shoulder and bite back a small moan. Sometimes he hated how easily turned on he could be but now, with the limited time, it was really nothing but a plus. He was already panting slightly by the time the taller man reached his mouth. Before he could kiss him though, Aoba pulled back just enough to look at his face. He could feel the heat on his face, sure he looked nothing short of a tomato already.

“I don't... Think I got your name,” Aoba said, watching as the other's weird, short eyebrows knitted together for a moment.

“... Just Noiz is fine,” the man concluded with quick words, staring at the wall next to Aoba's head. Aoba would have found it endearing had it not been for the mischievous look Noiz shot at him immediately afterwards. Warm lips found his before Aoba could even begin to wonder about the look, the sharp piercings along Noiz's bottom lip scratching slightly against his own skin. Aoba felt hands grab at his waist, pulling him closer to the larger body in front of him until they were flush together. Noiz ground his hips down against Aoba's while slipping his tongue inside Aoba's mouth when he opened it to let out a small gasp. His tongue was pierced as well, Aoba noted as he felt the small silver balls rolling against his own tongue, the metallic taste faint in his mouth. It was a heated mesh of tongues and Aoba almost felt bad for having to separate them in order to get some air in his lungs. Noiz was on him again in a few seconds, leaving Aoba no choice but to pant roughly into his mouth. He couldn't help but notice how calm Noiz seemed despite his rush and desperation, his fingers pressing on the soft skin of his hips just enough for him to feel it and to bruise later.  
As if Noiz had read his thoughts, deft fingers moved lower and around Aoba's body, settling on the curve of his ass and squeezing slightly. The sensation was weird but not all too bad, Aoba thought. But when the hands pressed him closer to Noiz again, he tried to silence the gasp by biting down on Noiz's tongue. He pulled back upon tasting traces of blood in his mouth, a hitched breath reaching his ears.

“Sorry, I didn't-" his words faded in the air as he caught a look at Noiz. His previous, casual demeanor was now clearly pushed back, like a barrier had been broken, pupils widened so much there was only a small ring of green left for Aoba to see. Had he... liked that? The way one of Noiz's hands came to Aoba's front and scrambled to open his belt told him the answer. Noiz was grasping onto him like letting go even for a moment would physically hurt him, so Aoba decided to return the favour. Glancing at the man in front of him he lowered his head and carefully bit down on his neck. He more felt than heard Noiz's breath hitch again, his mouth so close to Aoba's ear he could feel his hot breath against it, making his face heat up even more.

Aoba let out a long, quiet moan as Noiz finally managed to unbuckle his belt and open the buttons and zipper of his trousers, immediately slipping a hand inside. Aoba's teeth and tongue found Noiz's neck again at the same time Noiz's fingers found his cock, already hard and drops of precum threatening to spill from the tip, and started pumping it with a moderate pace. Aoba was about to dig his fingernails into his shoulder before he realised Noiz was still fully dressed. He tugged at the suit jacket slightly.

“Take this off?” His words came out in the form of a question. Noiz shrugged the jacket onto the floor, not caring if it got wrinkled in the process before he attacked Aoba's mouth with kisses. Aoba had barely noticed the hand on his ass moving before the fingers were poking at his lips. He separated from the kiss with a gasp. He shot a look at Noiz and opened his mouth wider so he could slip his fingers inside. Aoba nearly mewled at the combined feeling of salty skin on his mouth and the sweetness that was Noiz pumping his dick. The best Aoba could do to return the favour was grasp at Noiz's wrist and wrap his tongue around the slender fingers, coating them with saliva the best he could.

Once he was sure the fingers were slick enough he pulled them out of his mouth and looked to the side, embarrassed of how much this was affecting him. Just Noiz's fingers in his mouth had left him yearning for more. His body felt like it was on fire already, a need to feel more of Noiz burning deep in his gut. Aoba let out a whimper when he felt the hand drift back down, brushing past the curve of his ass and eventually finding his hole. Noiz rubbed his index finger against the ring of muscle before slowly pushing it in, careful not to hurt Aoba.

Aoba let his head fall against the curve of Noiz's shoulder, focusing on breathing and trying to relax to make it easier for the both of them. It didn't take long for him to be ready for two fingers, and now the only reason he was still panting into Noiz's shoulder was to keep his voice down, impatiently rocking his hips against the fingers inside of him.

Noiz wasn't fairing any better. His breathing was rough in Aoba's ear and despite being quiet, the hardness Aoba could _see_ through his pants told him just how much he liked this. It wasn't until Noiz managed to nudge the spot that made Aoba see stars for a moment that he realised just how close he already was.

“I think, ah- I think we're good,” Aoba whispered, reaching to unbutton his shirt. He barely had time to breathe before he could feel Noiz pull out his fingers and roughly grasp his waist again to turn him around, pressing his chest against the wall. Aoba jolted at the sensation, the heat of his chest cooled down by the chilly environment. His slacks and underwear were unceremoniously pushed down past his knees and he instinctively spread out his legs as much as he could in his current position.

Aoba heard the faint sound of a zipper being opened, followed by a relieved sigh from Noiz. He must've felt so confined, left almost completely untouched. Aoba would have felt bad for him if he'd been capable of thinking straight right now. Instead, he bent himself against the wall so his ass was lifted slightly higher, offering a more than genereous view for Noiz. He heard Noiz let out a low groan, followed by the sound of him spitting on his palm, probably trying to slick up his dick the best he could. And soon enough he stepped closer to Aoba, rubbing himself against the cleft of his ass. The smaller man bucked up at the feeling, desperate for more. He let out a sharp cry as he felt Noiz's hand grasp at his ass, parting the cheeks to allow himself easier access. Aoba bit down on his bottom lip to silence his whimpers when he felt Noiz's length push inside, the burn of it nearly taking his breath away. Noiz kept going until he was at the hilt, then stopping for a moment to allow Aoba to adjust. Aoba leaned against the wall with his forearms, gasps leaking out of his mouth as he tried to accustom to theheat and fullness inside him. Once the slight tinge of pain had subsided and he felt like he could breathe again he gave a push back, taking Noiz's cock even deeper in the process.

It was like all of Noiz's restraints had been cut off by that single action. He grabbed Aoba by the hips, leaving red fingerprints dented onto the soft skin and pulled back slightly before pushing roughly back in. He bent his body forward to tower over Aoba's back, sweat slicked back covered by the damp fabric of his shirt. Aoba wished the moans pulling from his throat weren't so loud, that the desperate panting leaving his mouth wasn't loud enough for the people outside to hear. He didn't realise just how loud he had gotten until Noiz managed to hit that spot inside him again. He squeezed his eyes shut as Noiz pounded into him, his low groans of pleasure sounding loud in his sensitive ears. He could feel the fabric of the other man's pants brush against his ass every once in a while when he plunged in particularly deep. The piercings on his cock brushed past his prostate on every rough thrust, every precise hit sucking the air out of his lungs. Aoba's dick was bobbing in the air in front of him, hard and still leaking.

“Ngh... Noiz, I-” his words were cut off abruptly by a hand on his mouth. Noiz bit on the back of his neck before saying anything.

“You're so loud. Do you- do you want people to find us like this?” Aoba shuddered at the thought, his cock giving an involuntary twitch. He shook his head.

“Then you. Need to. Be. More. Quiet,” Noiz said, grinding into his ass at the end of every word. Aoba whimpered at the feeling. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but found himself unavailable to do so as Noiz's fingers entered his mouth. So instead he did the next best thing and bit down slightly, relishing in the feeling of Noiz losing his rhythm for just a moment. He sucked the bruised fingers back into his mouth when Noiz was about to pull them out and wrapped his tongue around them again, this time in an attempt to try and soothe the pain. Now, with his own moans held back, Aoba swore he could hear Noiz giving out small gasps whenever he buried himself inside him. The sound turned Aoba on to no end.

“Fuck, Aoba,” the words were cut off for a moment. “It's so hot. Do you like it?” Noiz slowed down his pace for a moment just to aim a series of thrusts right on Aoba's sweet spot, making the older one cry out loud, voice muffled by the bony fingers.

“Heh. I'm guessing you do. You should see how you look right now, all red and desperate,” he laughed as he momentarily let go of his hips to grab at his dick. “You're so hard too, wet and dripping. I haven't even touched you, and yet you're taking my cock in so well,” Noiz kissed up his neck as his hand made it's way back to Aoba's hip. Aoba tried to give him an annoyed look but couldn't help but feel his skin grow hotter under the words.

As Noiz returned back to his now frantic pace, Aoba couldn't help but admit he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. The cool wall rubbing against his chest was creating a stark contrast on Noiz's feverishly hot skin pressing against his back. He could feel Noiz's thickness sliding in and out of him roughly, the piercings occasionally catching on the rim of his hole, providing extra stimulus for them both. Aoba was sure that if he were to look down, he would be faced with the sight of his own cock moving in time with the thrusts from behind, a line of precum connecting the tip with his own stomach.

Every movement was bringing him closer to the edge and he tried to communicate this by moaning around Noiz's fingers while pushing back against the hard dick inside of him. Noiz seemed to get the hint, as he let out a raspy laugh and sped up the pace to border on brutal. Sharp, short thrusts attacked Aoba's prostate and he threw his head back, feeling like the air was once again leaving his lungs and he couldn't get it back fast enough. Noiz pulled his fingers away from his mouth only to bring them down to Aoba's groin, grabbing his cock again and stroking it in pace with the thrusts into the smaller man's willing body. Aoba had to turn his head and bite down on his own arm to keep quiet. It seemed like Noiz was doing no better, burying his face into the crook where Aoba's neck met his shoulder, silencing any sounds he might have made.

“Ah, Noiz- If you keep doing that I'll-” Aoba shot him a look of want and panic all wrapped up in one, feeling himself dangling on his limit.

“... Go ahead,” was all the response he got, along with the hand on his dick tightening its hold, squeezing so hard it was nearly painful. All he needed was one more hard thrust against the sensitive spot inside him and he found himself letting out an uncontained moan of the other's name, cum spilling on the wall and dripping down Noiz's hand. He was sure he would have collapsed had it not been for Noiz's hands holding his hips and keeping him steady. It only took a few more seconds until the blond man came to an abrupt stop, only moving again when he let out a strangled, relieved sigh. Aoba felt his release pool inside of him as the swollen cock gave a one last twitch. They stayed like that for a while in silence, only their slowly steadying breaths filling the room. Aoba let out a whine when Noiz finally pulled out. He could already feel some of his cum trickling down his thigh. Before he could move to find something to wipe it away with though, he found himself stopped by a hand on his thigh, wiping away the thick fluid with something that felt like smooth, soft fabric. Confused, Aoba turned around, only to see Noiz smirking up at him with a hankerchief in his hand. He must've had it in his jacket pocket. He buckled up his pants before taking a look at Aoba's cumstained stomach and then at the cloth in his hand. Noiz bent down but instead of wiping it away like Aoba had been expecting, Aoba found Noiz's tongue running over the warm fluid, carefully licking away every trace left.

“What the fuck do you-” Aoba was cut off midsentence as Noiz moved lower, placing a few teasing licks on his softening cock. It was still too sensitive for it to feel good but Aoba still let out a small sound at the visual.

Once Noiz had deemed the other man clean enough he stood back up, pulling his trousers and underwear along with him and closing the zip on Aoba's pants while Aoba busied himself with buttoning his shirt back up.

“So, that was...” Aoba voice drifted away, unsure sure what to say. What exactly were you supposed to say after having possibly the best sex in your life with a total stranger inside a closet? Aoba wasn't sure there even was an etiquette for that. He was brought out of his thoughts by Noiz's voice, now back to the casual tone he had heard when they'd first met.

“Coil?”

“...Huh?” Aoba asked. Noiz let out a sigh, speaking like one would to a child.

“Let me see your Coil.” Curious, Aoba held up his wrist for Noiz to see. He grabbed it for a moment, pressing a few buttons here and there before stopping for a moment. His own Coil, a thin silver bracelet, rang out for a second before he silenced it.

“I'll call you, yeah?” The way the words were posed sounded like a question but something about his voice told Aoba it wasn't one. All he could do was nod.

Noiz slowly opened the door after pulling his jacket back on and looked around. He stepped outside, signalling for Aoba to follow but before he could he saw Noiz freeze, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly filling the air.

“Bruder! What are you doing, everyone's already waiting!”

Before Aoba could even comprehend what was happening Noiz was being pulled away. Aoba dared to peek through the open door just to see Noiz being dragged away by another blond man. Their eyes locked for a moment before Noiz and the other man disappeared behind a corner, leaving behind a very confused and exhausted Aoba.

-

Aoba slinked back to Mizuki after a moment, apologising for disappearing for so long while trying to casually pretend there wasn't cum dripping into his underwear and down his thigh. It took a while to convince Mizuki that he'd just gotten lost for such a long time but eventually his friend nodded, apparently satisfied with his explanation. After a brief attempt at sitting down (his legs were hurting like hell but apparently they weren't as sore as his ass) he decided against it, instead opting to stand up and lean against the wall. The hallways were empty and Aoba assumed the wedding was about to start.

“We could probably sneak in and catch a glimpse of the happy couple,” Mizuki suggested, his eyes staring at the slightly ajar door.

“It's not like we have anything better to do until they're finished,” Aoba said, using his shoulders to lazily push himself off the wall. He idly looked at the names on the announcement card, scrunching up his nose as he tried to read the foreign words.

_Heidi Fromm & Wilhelm Hasenkamp_

He'd stayed in Germany long enough to have heard both of the names pop up every once in a while. Both were influential families, possibly some of the richest in the country, and the media had gone absolutely crazy upon finding out the families' first borns were to be married. Aoba could even recall how the bride looked, since she was somewhat of a socialite, but his mind was blank when he tried to recall the groom's face. He assumed he liked to keep to himself most of the time.

Really, it was a small miracle they had been hired for the wedding.

He followed Mizuki as the pair slipped through the doors, settling against the far wall. The ceremony was already in progress and the priest's voice filled the air but it all seemed like a distant blur for Aoba who was now staring at the couple in front of the room.

Naturally his focus was first on the bride, looking as stunning as she did on the covers of gossip magazines and the likes, curly hair drawn up and her tall, slender figure wrapped in what was undoubtedly a custom made designer dress. But that wasn't what caught Aoba's attention, no. It was the fact that the man standing next to her, with blond hair and a bored look on his face, was the same man Aoba had had sex with not even twenty minutes ago.

He felt like he might throw up.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A unexpected visitor has Aoba seriously considering his options. It's not like it can get any worse, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out yesterday but then real life got in the way, sorry! This isn't really up to my standards but after rewriting the chapter a couple times I feel like this is the best I can manage right now.
> 
> I'm guessing this is probably gonna be about 5(+an interlude) chapters long, at least for now. I hope you'll at least like it.

As another week rolled by Aoba found himself becoming more and more conflicted about the situation. Noiz had tried to text him a couple times, even called once, but had apparently given up once he'd realised Aoba wasn't going to pick up. And he wasn't sure what to make of that. Plus then there was the problem of-

“Aoba, my flight's leaving in a couple of hours. Help me drag my stuff to the airport?” Mizuki's voice cut into his thoughts. Two days ago, Mizuki had gotten an urgent call from a member of Dry Juice, asking him to return home as soon as he could. There had been an accident involving a friend now in hospital, and Mizuki had immediately booked the first flight he could get.

“Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?” Aoba asked, but it was as much an act of support as it was an attempt to try and ignore his own situation. Mizuki shook his head.

“Nah, it's cool. The rent's paid in advance anyways so there's no use for both of us to leave.”

Aoba's soft sigh didn't go unnoticed.

“Did something happen? You've been doing nothing but sulking for the past week.”

Had he really? Sure, he might've checked on his phone once or twice more than normal but it was only natural. Noiz had tried to contact him first after all. And just because he never answered the texts didn't mean- didn't mean what, exactly? Aoba wasn't sure himself anymore. It took him another moment to remember Mizuki was still waiting for an answer.

“It's nothing, really,” he mustered up the best, most convincing smile he could, but even that wasn't clearly enough for Mizuki. The vary look he shot Aoba chilled him down to the bone. Of course he wouldn't let it slide just like that. Sure, he hadn't known Aoba for as long as, say, Koujaku had, but after all the shit they'd been through together as teens, Aoba should've expected him to know something was off.

“I- I just kinda... You remember the wedding gig?” Mizuki nodded. Aoba did his best to swallow down the lump stuck in his throat. The floor had never looked so appealing in his life.

“I might have slept with a guy there,” he confessed quietly. The silence spreading between them almost made him think that maybe Mizuki hadn't heard him, that maybe he wouldn't have to explain everything. No such luck.

“You... So when you disappeared you actually-” Mizuki cut off his own words. All Aoba could do was nod. He was sure he was going to be reprimanded for being irresponsible and for leaving his friend alone because of something like that, but he never expected the laughter bursting from Mizuki.

“Oh man, are you serious? So what's the problem, he didn't call you back or something?” Mizuki asked.

“I... Promise not to tell anyone? Not even- especially not Koujaku,” Aoba asked. The last thing he needed was for Koujaku to find out as well, knowing the man would never let him live it down. Neither would Mizuki, most likely. Aoba felt a blush rise even higher on his face as Mizuki gave him an affirmative nod.

“It was the groom,” his voice was soft and not nearly loud enough to cover the small gasp escaping Mizuki's lips. The air around them suddenly felt a lot more awkward than it had just moments before.

“You... How did you manage that?” Aoba could tell Mizuki was barely holding in another spurt of laughter. He earned himself a missed swing at the shoulder at that. The hand gestures Aoba made were vague enough for even himself to not understand.

“It just kind of happened. It's not like I knew who he was at the time!” Despite feeling like he could just drop dead at the very moment, his voice still carried a hint of defensive sharpness in it.

“I mean, who would even do that at his own wedding?” Aoba asked, but bit down on his tongue to keep himself from rambling. He could see Mizuki glance at his luggage and Coil before saying anything.

“I should start going if I want to catch my flight but...” Mizuki paused for a second. Aba could tell the man was conflicted, so he decided to give him one last push.

“Go on, you don't want to miss it. I can sort this out myself,” hopefully, he added to himself. If he was being honest, he really didn't want to be left alone to figure it all out. However, he shot Mizuki a genuine smile. “Come on, I'll help you drag these so you don't break your back or something.”

 

He saw Mizuki to the airport, hugging him goodbye after he had promised to call when he landed.

The apartment seemed colder than it had just hours ago, Aoba thought when he got home.

–

For the next week, Aoba tried to get his thoughts straight the best he could. Nothing in his mind made sense anymore, everything overthought and analyzed. There was no real sense in what had happened, anyways. Maybe it had all been a big mistake, Aoba told himself on the nights he stayed up with his thoughts. On other nights, the urge to open Noiz's messages almost got the better of him, but in the end he stopped himself before he could click on the blinking light in the corner of his Coil.

Noiz- Wilhelm?- was married. That was the one thing he knew for certain. That alone should have been a dealbreaker for Aoba. But he also remembered the way he'd looked at him, and the way he'd touched him, and the way he-

Aoba wished he had the guts to confront Noiz, to directly ask him about what had happened. Why woud he have done that to someone he loved, at his own wedding on top of it? It felt as if there was a piece missing, something Aoba knew he couldn't figure out on his own.

But did he really even want to know?

–

He couldn't help but stare at the Coil sitting on the kitchen table, trying to make up his mind once and for all. He felt like an idiot, staying alone in a foreign country just in hopes of getting at least some sort of a conclusion. It had been a week and three days since Mizuki had called and tried to hep him sort it all out but he still hadn't gotten the courage to open the texts the blond man had sent him. After a few days of silence there had even been a new message last night, one that Aoba hadn't dared to even glance at. Frustrated, he was about to grab his Coil and do at least something, be it opening the texts or just staring at the sender's name, when the sound of a doorbell rang through the small space.

Aoba scrambled up from the chair and toed his way over to the entrance as quietly as he could, peeking through the peephole in the door.

It was the man who had hired them for the wedding. Noiz's brother, he supposed, but couldn't actually remember the teenager's name even if his life was on the line. He had never been too good with names, and now it was clearly coming back up to bite him in the ass. Curious, he looked at the man for a moment to see what he would do. He had the same, weird eyebrows as Noiz did, and he scrunched them together when there was no reply from the other side of the door. He waited for another few seconds before Aoba could see his shoulders visibly fall, posture defeated as he turned around in order to walk away. It was then that Aoba opened the safety lock and whipped the door open, nearly scaring the pants off the poor boy. He turned his head around, shocked at the sudden movement.

“C-can I help you?” Aoba cursed invardly at the awkwardness of his voice. The blond man's face lit up at the sight of him.

“Ah, Aoba-san! I was looking for you,” he said, sounding a lot more cheerful than he had looked just seconds earlier.

“I figured. Isn't that why you're here?” He couldn't help but to egg him on, part of him dying to know what business someone like him could possible have in the more common part of the city.

“I- Well, yes,” Aoba could've sworn there was a light blush on his cheeks. Aoba opened the door just a bit more, enough for the man to get the hint and walk into the apartment, only to stop by the entrance.

“I'm sorry to bother you,” he said, and Aoba wondered if the awkward air of politeness was the result of his upbringing or if it was just part of the man's personality. He'd sensed some of the same awkwardness around Noiz as well. Maybe a family trait then?

“It's fine. May I ask why you're here?” He asked, hoping he didn't come off as too nosy. But fuck that, the man had apparently found out where he lived and hunted him down, so nosiness be damned. He looked up at Aoba's words and Aoba could now see how much he actually resembled Noiz. They had the same eyebrows, the same prominent nose and the same piercing green eyes, but his seemed a lot softer, his face clearly more animated than his older brother's.

“I- sorry. It's about Noiz,” he finished. His words sent Aoba's mind straight into panic mode. Had Noiz told his brother what happened? Maybe he was there to tell him to stay away from the blond. Maybe the building was surrounded by a bunch of hired assassins ready to take Aoba out. He shook his head, almost amused by his own, overly dramatic track of thought. There was no way it was something as ridiculous as that. But maybe -and Aoba hated to even think about the possibility, hated how much it made his heart race- something had happened to Noiz?

“What about him?” He hoped his voice didn't sound as weak a he felt it was.

“I don't know exactly what happened between you two, and I don't particularly want to find out the details-” he took a moment to look away, almost bashful, before staring back at Aoba, “but I do know something happened and it obviously affected my brother. It's not like I see him that often outside of work, but...”

Aoba was at a loss of words for a moment before straightening himself up.

“It was just one little mistake and he has to know it too, right? I mean, he's fucking married!” The teenager fell silent at the words, something in his demeanor ringing alarm bells inside Aoba's head.

“It wasn't supposed to happen in the first place and I refuse to ruin what is probably a perfectly good marriage over a few moments of-” Aoba cut off his words before he let anything else slip out, but the embarrassed look on the other's face was enough to let him know he'd said too much. Aoba didn't even know why he'd said it all. His pride would never let him say it out loud but he didn't want it to be a mistake. The younger one took a deep breath.

“Then maybe you should tell him yourself? I'm sure he'd much rather hear it straight from you,” his voice sounded defeated. Aoba almot felt bad for the kid. He probably hadn't come all the way here just to be shouted at.

… Shit.

“Jeez, fine. I'll tell him myself,” Aoba gave in, witnessing the way the man's eyes gained a new spark. For a moment he was wondering if he should be scared. Aoba felt like he was willingly walking into a trap.

“Thank you! You won't regret it, I promise. I know brother can be a bit... Difficult to handle but I'm sure it'll be fine if you're willing to try!” His voice was loud, easily carrying through the hallway even as he was walking away with a slight bounce to his step after grabbing both of Aoba's hands into his and excitedly shaking them.

“Wait! I didn't say anything about-” but the man was already gone. Aoba closed the door before pressing his head against it, wondering what on earth he'd gotten himself into.

 

_Received: 23/06/xxxx 13:06_

_From: Noiz_

_free tonight?_

_-_

_Received: 23/06/xxxx 23:47_

_From: Noiz_

_I guess not_

_-_

_Received: 24/06/xxxx 02:12_

_From: Noiz_

_???_

_-_

_Received: 30/06/xxxx 01:55_

_From: Noiz_

_I can probably explain_

_-_

_Sent: 07/07/xxxx 16:30_

_To: Noiz_

_I think we need to talk._

_-_

The air around them felt awkward. Aoba had agreed to meet Noiz at a small cafe not too far from Aoba's apartment, and he had made sure they got the table at the very end of the building, shielding them from possible curious onlookers. Neither had barely said a word in the last few minutes, simply staring at their coffee like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Despite the plainly _wrong_ atmosphere, Aoba couldn't help but scrunch up his nose at Noiz's drink of choice.

“How can you even drink that? I don't think that even qualifies as coffee at this point,” he said, pointing a finger the drink under the other man's nose. Noiz had lifted his head up at the sudden sound but lowered it back down as the words registered to him, looking at the beverage most likely more filled with sugar and cream than actual coffee.

“It's sweet. I don't dislike it,” Noiz said, not even trying to defend himself. “But you probably didn't come here just to talk about coffee,” he finised, lifting his eyes again to meet Aoba's, unblinking. Aoba felt his breath stutter just slightly at the intense gaze Noiz was giving him. He almost had to remind himself how to breathe properly again.

“Yeah, I-” Aoba's words were chopped, like he was testing the ice. “-just, um. You know?” He finished, hoping Noiz would catch the drift. The tilt of Noiz's head was all the answer he needed to know he hadn't understood. Or at least he was pretending not to understand. Aoba thought he saw a small smirk on his lips when he lifted his cup to take a sip. He ran his hand through his bangs, frustrated.

“So. Explain then,” and maybe his words were a little too rough, a little too angry, because he instantly noticed the change in Noiz's demeanor. Instead of passive, he immediately straightened his posture into a more aggressive stance. Aoba wasn't sure if the man had even noticed it himself. Green eyes gazed at Aoba for a moment before looking away. Noiz's voice was smaller than he'd expected when he spoke.

“... Not like I wanted it in the first place,” was the response Aoba got. It confused him even more. What didn't Noiz want? Was he... Trying to say it was a mistake? Despite having said the same thing earlier himself, Aoba still felt a pang of something he couldn't quite recognize in his chest. He voiced his suspicions out loud. Aoba's words were cut off before he could even finish, mouth hanging open with the rest of the sentence still inside.

“That's not what I meant,” Noiz said, voice empty, like a blank canvas waiting for someone to come and spill emotions on it. His words made no sense to Aoba.

“Then what did you mean?” The heavy silence spreading between them had Aoba's mind racing again. Noiz wasn't looking at him again, and the few seconds let Aoba properly take in how he looked like in the daylight, let him see how the sun shining behind the man was creating a ring of light around him, accentuating his sharp features. It took another moment for a differeny possibility to enter Aoba's mind, one that he'd never given any thought.

“You mean, get married?” He asked before lowering his voice. “But why would you sleep with a complete stranger at your own wedding, for fuck's sake?” Noiz's shrug didn't help calm Aoba's state of mind at all.

“Felt like it, I guess,” he said. It felt like there was a barrier between them, stopping them from communating properly and Aoba hated it.

“You just 'felt like it'? Do you have a habit of sleeping with people you're not supposed to?” Aoba realised Noiz had ignored his first question, but at least he was now getting somewhere. He'd ask again later, Aoba told himself. Even if it gnawed at him from the inside.

“Not really. Just you,” Noiz said. “You're cute.”

Aoba was sure he was blushing again. “W-what's that supposed to mean? And quit dodging my question.”

Another silence fell upon them, but this time it was much more anticipating than awkward, filled with a strange tension as Aoba waited. He was about to call out to Noiz when he finally responded.

“Like I said, it wasn't my idea. Marrying her,” he finally said, words cutting off like he was actually thinking hard at the same time. But something about the way he spoke told Aoba that maybe just didn't really know how to communicate. He hoped he wouldn't cross any lines he wasn't supposed to, but hell, he deserved answers.

“Then whose idea was it?” Aoba's voice was quiet, bordering on a whisper.

“...” Noiz let out a small sigh that could only be interpreted as unwillingness to talk about the subject any longer.

To say Aoba was confused would be putting it lightly, but he felt he wasn't in a position to push the other man, not just yet at least. So he simply nodded to himself, pushing past the conversation topic and hoping he didn't come off as incredibly rude despite the fact that's what they were here for in the first place. Lucky for him, Noiz seemed to welcome the topic change.

 

“... Nineteen.”

“Seriously? You're only nineteen?” Aoba's eyes were probably looking like they might fall out at any moment.

“What about it?” Noiz scoffed.

“Nothing. I jut thought you were around my age but I guess you're really just a kid after all,” he smiled, a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked at Noiz. He could do this, act like they were friends. He totally could. Noiz wasn't exactly bad company, even if he didn't say all that much.

“Whatever. Am not,” his voice was still monotonous, but to Aoba it sounded like Noiz was trying to stop something from coming through. Be it irritation or embarrassment, Aoba couldn't tell.

Under the fluorescent lighting of the cafe, Aoba could see the faint freckles adorning Noiz's cheeks, running over his nose like tiny constellations. It was cute, really.

They kept switching topics for hours. Of course, Aoba was doing most of the actual talking. He kept getting sidetracked and blubbering on about his friends and life back in Midorijima, about his first impression of Germany, anything. Noiz would simpy nod or grunt something back most of the time. At first Aoba thought he might've been boring him but eventually began to notice he was like that even while talking about things Noiz clearly liked, even if he didn't want to show it. Like video games, for example. He would give one word answers or ask short questions that didn't really sound like questions at all.

Aoba made a mental note to take Noiz to an arcade if he ever got the chance.

 

By the end of it all, Aoba would say the meeting went alright. It's not like he found more about Noiz, no. In fact, Aoba was sure he was even more confused than he'd been when he first walked through the door. Sure, over the past few hours (had it really been that long?) he'd picked up a few things about the blond man. But his silence was the one barrier between them, stopping Aoba from even trying to get closer after all. It felt like Noiz was so closed off he had trouble even saying the things he wanted to say, a stark contrast compared to how passionate Noiz had been at the wedding. Aoba felt his face heat up even at the mere thought and willed himself to think about something else as they walked in silence, side by side.

It wouldn't occur to him for another few hours that he hadn't gotten any of the answers he'd gone there for.

They were standing in a street corner, about to part ways. The cafe was but a small spot of light in the distance, the street lamps lighting the dark paths along the driveways.

“I... Had fun today. More than I thought I would, at least,” Aoba said. He was shivering from the cool air but did his best not to let Noiz know. Judging by the look Noiz shot him he wasn't doing a very good job, but Noiz didn't mention anything about it. He had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the metal pole lighting a small area.

“Yeah? So go out with me again,” Noiz stated. His words sounded more like a command than a question, and the older one wasn't sure quite what to make of it. Aoba let out an inaudible sigh. Sure, he'd had fun, but he still wasn't sure. It wasn't like him to just jump into a relationship, especially not with someone who was already married. That thought alone had alarm bells ringing in his head. He was attracted to Noiz, sure, but he wasn't willing to possibly break up a marriage because of that. Despite having been smiling most of the time, the shadow of the fact still weighed down on his mind. Noiz didn't seem to pick up anything from the silence.

“I don't know. Give me some time to think, okay?” Aoba looked up at the other man, barely noticing the way his eyebrows scrunched up. The expression was gone before Aoba could even blink.

“Sure, whatever. Let me know,” Noiz said, his voice dull but his next actions contradicting his unaffected appearance as he took a step closer to Aoba. Aoba felt a palm against his cheek and could only watch as Noiz's face got closer to his own, the soft breathing hitting his face. His eyes closed by themselves, waiting for something, anything. But as seconds ticked by and nothing happened, Aoba forced one of his eyes open only to be faced with the stark green of Noiz's own, curiously staring at him with the slightest hint of amusement.

Noiz withdrew his hand and put some distance between them before turning around, starting to walk away without as much as a goodbye. And once again, Aoba was confused by his contradicting behaviour, but he didn't think he could muster up the strength to call after the other man's retrieving back.

_And it wasn't until he got home, checked on Ren and went to bed that he realised he hadn't felt the telltale press of a ring when Noiz had his left hand against his cheek._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should've gone to bed an hour ago whoops. Night ya'll.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some light mentions/references of past self harm at the end, just thought I'd throw that out there in case anyone has a problem with it.

“But he's married! Isn't that supposed to mean something?” It had been three days since they'd met up and Aoba was still confused. Or maybe conflicted, he wasn't sure of the difference anymore. The more he tried to think about Noiz the more tangled up his thoughts got. He was sitting in the kitchen, forehead leaning against the small table.

“Aoba. From what you've told me I believe it's highly likely he is indeed interested in you,” Ren's mechanical voice resounded in his ears.

“Yeah, he's made that fairly obvious. But- but what am I supposed to do?” His voice was nothing but a small whine, the empty bottle of beer clattering on the floor as he struggled to sit up straight, flailing his arms around exaggeratedly. Ren was sitting on his lap, safe from harm as long as Aoba didn't try to stand up. “I mean, I can't just let it slide. Fuck, I don't even know him.”

Ren was quiet for a moment.

“According to various sources his first name is Wilhelm, he's nineteen and the heir of Hasenkamp Corporation, firstborn of-” Aoba quickly cut him off.

“Did you seriously just Google him?”

“I figured it might be of help for Aoba. My apologies if I was mistaken,” Ren's ears drooped down slightly. Aoba let out a small laugh before petting his allmate's soft fur.

“It's fine, you helped. Thank you Ren, I really appreciate it.” The dog lifted his head to push back against Aoba's palm, almost like a real pet would.

“No problem. My signal is saying your intoxication levels are quite high. Maybe you should get a glass of water and go to bed?” Aoba shooks his head.

“Not just yet. I need to- I need to figure something out first.”

“As you wish.”

 -

The next day, Aoba finally dug out Noiz's number and just stared at it for a while, index finger hanging above the call function. In the end he figured texting would be a better choice. A lot less awkward too, given his tendency to get easily confused. The hangover was pounding away inside his head as he tried to come up with something to say. Eventually, Aoba settled on something clear and simple.

_Do you want to meet up again?_

Aoba was fully settled on waiting for a response, knowing how busy Noiz probably was with work. There was no way someone who kept dressing in such fancy suits (he might have Googled Noiz once himself, but there was no way he'd ever admit it. It's not like there was even that much information available) would have the time to answer him right away.

But to Aoba's surprise, it didn't take more than ten minutes for a message to come through, one that Aoba opened up with quick fingers. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.

_Tomorrow okay?_

He typed a quick affirmative answer before letting out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding.

And even if he didn't want to admit it, there was a small, warm feeling at the bottom of his stomach because of how fast Noiz had replied.

 -

“What? How did you manage that?” Aoba was laughing so hard he had to cover his mouth in hopes everyone in the restaurant didn't hear him. Noiz looked away and for a moment Aoba could've sworn there was a hint of blush dusting his pale cheekbones.

“I dunno. It just happened,” he said, shoulders tense. “It's not like I was expecting the cops to show up.” His answer didn't help Aoba's state at all as he let out a giggle.

“Yeah, sure. So you what, jumped out of the window or something?” He raised an eyebrow at the younger man. Noiz scoffed.

“You've been watching too many crime shows. I just... Ran out the back door as soon as they knocked,” he mumbled, and to anyone else it could've sounded like he was just saying it to himself, voice low and barely audible.

It was their fourth “date,” if you could call it that, second one this week, and Aoba couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun during his stay in Germany. Noiz didn't talk much, he really didn't, but it was okay. When he did speak it was almost always something important or something he'd clearly thought Aoba would like to hear. Aoba just wished they'd have more time to just hang out, maybe take a walk or something, instead of eating at fancy restaurants or small cafes and then argue about who pays the bill (Noiz always ended up winning, simply due to what Aoba assumed was his natural, albeit slightly awkward, charisma). Their situation was far from perfect, but despite Noiz's reservedness and actions, Aoba could tell he was genuinely trying his best, even if the mood occasionally fell flat due to someone staring at them a bit too long for it to be an accident.

And Noiz stopped Aoba right when he was about to say goodbye, grabbing his hand and cutting him off. Aoba looked up at him, startled, only to find Noiz already staring back at him. Aoba's eyes slipped close when Noiz whispered his name so softly he wasn't sure if he'd even heard it, and their lips met halfway as Aoba tiptoed up to meet him. It was sweet, something Aoba hadn't expected but it was fine. It made him feel like it was his first kiss all over again, tentative and curious but still passionate nonetheless.

It was over too quick. Noiz shot him a smirk before turning around and walking away again, much like he'd done in the previous times. But this time, Aoba found the guts to shout at him.

“Saturday okay?”

The only response he got was one thumb pointing upwards, and Aoba almost missed it in the surrounding darkness.

 -

The smooth wall felt cool when Aoba's back was slammed against it, Noiz's body pressing him tightly against the hard material. Aoba managed to get a quick, shocked breath before Noiz's mouth was on his, immediately slipping his tongue inside Aoba's welcoming mouth. Their bodies were so tight together you couldn't even fit a piece of paper between them, but Noiz was still adamant in getting closer to the man in his arms. The smaller man let out a gasping breath when he felt Noiz's hands at his ass, squeezing softly before dipping even lower to take a hold of the backs of his thighs, urging Aoba to wrap his legs around his waist. Noiz dropped urgent kisses along Aoba's neck as he caressed the soft flesh underneath his palms, making Aoba shudder as he lifted his legs up, having to jump slightly in order to get his legs where Noiz wanted them. Noiz's breathing was getting heavy but it was nothing compared to the moan Aoba let out when their cocks brushed together through the thick fabric of their pants, too hot but not enough at the same time.

He captured Noiz's lips as he started grinding against Aoba in a fast, steady pace. Aoba bit down on Noiz's bottom lip to muffle the moans pulling from his throat, earning a soft hitch of breath from the man holding him up. It didn't take long for Aoba to part their kiss as he leaned his back against the wall just to watch Noiz move their bodies, blushing as he realized the state he was already in.

His dick could clearly be seen through his tight jeans, the rough fabric stained slightly from where he was leaking against it. Noiz was no better off, Aoba realized. It was almost fascinating to see the way the piercings on the underside of his erection could be seen through his slacks if he were to squint just right. Just the mere sight made him blush, swallowing down the drool that was threatening to drip from his mouth.

They grinded against each other for a while, trying to suppress the soft noises coming from their throats. Aoba opened his mouth to say something he wasn't quite sure of when the sound of a door opening on the floor above them brought him out of his lust induced haze, throwing back the reality of the situation.

“Hey, Noiz,” his words were met with a grunt. “Let's- ah, let's at least... Inside. Not here,” he could feel his voice getting hoarse already, making speaking difficult. Noiz simply nodded in agreement but made no effort to let Aoba go. Instead, he dipped his hand into Aoba's back pocket, stroking his ass before digging out the keys to his apartment. Aoba had to admire the fact he managed to do all that with his tongue still pressing against his neck, the metal ball on it tracing a small vein.

Somehow Noiz managed to scramble open the door and get them both inside before kissing Aoba's lips again, so hard it was almost enough to bruise both of them.

The walk to the bedroom seemed way too long for Aoba, legs tightly locked around Noiz's waist, fingers carding through the short tufts of hair. But eventually they got there, Noiz dropping Aoba to the bed before crawling over him. His long fingers found the hem of Aoba's shirt all too easily, wrapping around it and pulling it off before Aoba could even comprehend what was happening. Noiz's hands made their way up Aoba's abdomen and to his chest, where they stopped for just long enough for Noiz to fan out his fingers, experimentally rubbing them against Aoba's chest. The desperate sound wrenching itself from Aoba's throat was enough to make him stop, shooting a smirk at the older man.

“Sensitive?” Noiz's voice was laced with amusement. Aoba turned his head to look at the wall, too mortified by the sound to respond.

Instead, he leaned up on his elbows and bit down on Noiz's neck as hard as he dared without breaking skin. Noiz let out a startled moan at the feeling, hips twitching involuntarily. Another kiss and then Aoba was opening the buttons on Noiz's shirt, the piece of cloth only acting as a needless barrier between their bodies. He took in a small breath when Noiz shedded the shirt, watching the lean torso move on top of him.

He was all wiry muscle and pale skin, and Aoba had to wonder when was the last time Noiz had gotten any sun. In the dim lighting of his bedroom, he could just barely see the freckles covering his shoulders and he was sure that if Noiz were to turn around, his upper back would be filled with the tiny constellations as well.

As his gaze wondered downwards, he caught sight of Noiz's navel piercing between his abs, glistening faintly when the light hit it just right. He had to divert his attention before his eyes could move lower, sure of the fact he couldn't bare the sight of Noiz's obviously tented trousers right then.

Noiz seemed to have different thoughts, though, as he lowered himself back onto Aoba only to pull his belt out of its loops, carelessly throwing it somewhere next to the bed. Aoba was about to protest, to tell Noiz he couldn't just throw his stuff around, but was interrupted by Noiz's hand on his dick, palming at it through the coarse fabric. The heat that flushed through him at the feeling was almost unbearable.

“Noiz, please,” Aoba moaned out, lifting his hips in an attempt to let Noiz know what he wanted.

“Please what?” Noiz's voice was hot in his ear, his mouth nibbling at his lobe, smoothing out the sharp feeling with his tongue. Aoba fell silent again for a moment, only to let out a ragged gasp a he felt Noiz's index finger trailing the shape of his cock through his jeans.

“You want me to take these off?” Aoba nodded. As if to encourage Noiz, he lifted his leg slightly so his thigh was rubbing against Noiz. He let out a small sound at the feeling, eyelids almost fluttering closed. His reaction was way too quiet for Aoba's liking but it got him moving, shaking fingers popping open the buttons and sliding down the zipper. Aoba lifted his hips when prompted, letting Noiz slide off his jeans and underwear in one go. Noiz stopped then, just for a moment, to admire Aoba's slender body. His hands skimmed the curves of Aoba's hips and sides, mentally mapping all of it. A small grin slowly spread to his face.

“You're so scrawny,” he said, the smile never wavering on his face as Aoba let out a huff.

“Am not! You just grew too much,” he said, his voice sounding only half as vicious as he would have liked, distracted by the attention both Noiz's hands and eyes were giving to his body. His hand pumped Aoba's cock a few times, spreading the precum already dripping from the tip down his length, making his movements slick and fast. Aoba had to graps onto Noiz's bicep to keep himself from thrusting up into the warm palm around him.

It didn't take long until Noiz reached down to fumble with his own belt, only to be stopped by Aoba's hand on his. As carefully as he could, Aoba flipped their positions, pushing Noiz back onto the bed as he sat on his hips, offering the younger man a teasing grin as he curiously looked up at Aoba.

Aoba pushed himself lower to rest on Noiz's thighs before reaching for his crotch, trembling hands opening his slacks and pushing them down much like Noiz had done to him. The mere sight of Noiz's cock resting against his stomach, heavy and flushed red, was enough to make Aoba's mouth water as his own dick gave a responsive twitch. Aoba was brought out of his daze by the feeling of Noiz's hands wandering around his body, touch gentle and just barely there. It gave Aoba the extra encouragement he needed as he scooched down even more, laying down between Noiz's thighs and shooting a quick look up to see Noiz's reaction. His expression spelled clearly of nothing but want and heat, underlined with something Aoba could even call curiosity.

He took hold of Noiz's dick and gave it a few cursory pumps before bringing it to his mouth. Noiz gave out a small whimper as Aoba pressed his tongue to the base, playing with the piercing there before moving up, carefully licking up every inch he could reach. This wasn't an act he was particulrly familiar with but he managed by thinking about what would make himself feel good. With that in mind, he tongued the slit at the tip, licking up the small beads of precome threatening to drip at any moment. He gave the head a small kiss, relishing in the way Noiz's hands tightened on his shoulders, before he opened his mouth and started taking the length in little by little. He could feel Noiz's hips twitching as the younger man fought to stay as still as he could, desperately trying not to thrust into the heat Aoba's mouth was giving him.

Aoba let his tongue play with the bars on the underside of Noiz's cock as he rubbed him against his cheek, tasting the bitterness on his tongue more prominently by the second. He took Noiz as deep into his mouth as he could, letting his fingers wrap around the rest when he felt Noiz's dick touch the back of his throat. Slowly easing his mouth off to breathe, he was about to plunge back in when he felt a small push at the side of his head. Aoba looked up and saw Noiz already watching him, his chest heaving up and down.

“A bit stronger,” Noiz breathed out before gently urging Aoba to place his mouth on him again. Aoba's eyebrows knit together but he did as asked, squeezing the dick in his hand a little tighter before shooting a questioning look at Noiz. Noiz shook his head once.

“Fuck, Aoba. Just- bite it,” the last words were barely audible but still clear to Aoba, who looked up at Noiz with wide eyes. Had he really heard right? The anticipatory look Noiz was giving him told Aoba he'd heard correct. Giving out a small shudder, Aoba lowered his head back down, pumping his head up and down a couple more times before biting softly on the tip, his molars sinking into the flesh ever so slightly. Aoba couldn't help but wince at the feeling, but one look at Noiz was enough to get rid of his hesitation.

Noiz's cheeks were dyed deep pink, sharp teeth biting on his lower lip to contain the low moans threatening to spill. Encouraged by the reaction, Aoba tightened his grip on the hardness and pulled at the piercing on the tip. He sucked Noiz's cock back into his mouth at the answering groan, occasionally biting up and down and slurping up at the bitter precum whenever it was about to drip. The air was filled with sounds that made Aoba blush, his own ragged breathing combined with Noiz's quiet pants. It did't take long for Noiz to be tugging gently at Aoba's hair, trying to get him to stop. Aoba winced at the feeling, but somehow it didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd expected.

“If you keep doing that, I'll-” he finished the sentence with a roll of his hips. Aoba pulled away only to be immediately pulled down into a kiss, the small, silvery balls on Noiz's tongue rolling over his own slick tongue. When they parted, Aoba moved to straddle Noiz, their bare dicks brushing together as he did so. Noiz's hand reached to wrap around them both, stroking while Aoba hurriedly reached over to search through the nightstand next to his bed. He almost dropped the small bottle of lube as he felt the piercings on Noiz's length press into his own, sensitive skin.

Feeling Noiz's eyes on him, he hurriedly opened the bottle, only for Noiz to grab it from him with a smirk.

“Let me,” was all Aoba heard before Noiz was slicking up his slender fingers and reaching behind Aoba. Noiz's tongue swept over his upper lip as he watched the way Aoba trembled when he teased the rim with the pad of his thumb, drawing lazy circles on the sensitive skin. A gasping moan pulled from Aoba's throat as he felt a finger press into him slowly, the feeling slick but still burning. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on the small hint of pleasure building up behind him, drawing in desperate breaths. Noiz seemed to have noticed his reaction as his clean hand reach to pump on Aoba's dick once again, distracting him from the intrusion on his backside. It worked, and soon enough Aoba bucked againt the lone finger, wanting to feel more. As the second finger entered him he felt both full and not full enough, his body confused by the still unfamiliar feeling. Still, he tried to relax into it, to the scrape of knuckles against the curve of his ass as Noiz pushed his fingers as deep into Aoba as he could before pumping them in and out a few times, relishing in the way the smaller man's body was responding to him. He'd be lying if he said it didn't turn him on to no end.

Soon enough, Aoba felt Noiz pull away only to feel three fingers poking at his entrance. He let out a whimper as they slid inside, his ass accepting them so easily he had no choice but to blush.

Aoba rocked against them immediately, hips twitching just slightly. Instead of Noiz's previous movements of steady drag of his fingers, this time he seemed to be looking for something, fingertips curiously searching inside Aoba. They pressed down against the tender skin as soon as he found what he was looking for, making Aoba gasp as his eyes fluttered closed at the feeling. Noiz pulled out after a few pointed thrusts at his sweet spot. Aoba almost let out a small, disappointed whimper at the lost pleasure but stopped himself, instead watching as Noiz lubed up his own cock. He looked so hard it must've hurt, and Aoba was really no better off himself.

Letting out a soft groan, Noiz positioned himself against Aoba's entrance and grabbed the man's hips, gently letting him lower himself onto his dick. Noiz's sharp canines bit on his lower lip as he felt the tight heat engulf him, and Aoba felt a strangled moan pull from his throat at the feeling of Noiz filling him up, the pressure almost unbearable. Only stopping once his bottom met Noiz's hips, he let out a staggered breath as he placed his hands on Noiz's chest, balancing himself up. He felt Noiz's hands still gripping his waist, this time fingers digging deep enough to leave bruises for Aoba to find the next day. They stayed still for a moment, long enough for Aoba to suck in a lump of air, his lungs desperately screaming out as he panted. He lifted his hips up slowly when he felt he was ready, even the tiniest motion letting him feel how hard and _large_ Noiz felt inside of him.

They eventually set up a rhythm, Noiz thrusting up every time Aoba moved his hips in a slow downwards motion. The ever present pressure of Noiz's sweaty hands slipping against Aoba's skin, moving up his abdomen to his chest only to play with his nipples was enough encouragement for Aoba to pick up their pace, throwing his head back as the force moved Noiz even deeper inside of him, the piercings dragging against his insides with every rough thrust.

Then, the angle must've changed slightly as Aoba felt a whole new level of bliss, letting out a poorly concealed moan as the intense shock of pleasure hit his body. Noiz must've noticed, because then his hands were back on his hips and he was thrusting up while simultaneously pulling Aoba's willing body down with more force, making their sweat-slicked skins give out an obscene slapping sound whenever they met. Aoba had no choice but to throw his head back at the feeling, giving Noiz a generous view of his throat.

“How does it feel?” Noiz's voice was raspy, the tone sending shudders down Aoba's spine. He must've looked so lewd right then, sitting on Noiz's hips with a cock deep in his ass and his own rock hard between them, a string of precome connecting the tip with his stomach.

Another sharp thrust from Noiz was enough to make Aoba forget any lingering inhibitions.

“It's- ah, it's so good. Noiz, please-” Aoba wasn't sure what he was begging for as he bounced harder on Noiz's lap. The blond let out a low groan at the words.

Suddenly Aoba's world was spinning and he was laid down on his back, Noiz somehow still inside of him as he returned back to his furious pace from earlier. Aoba wrapped his legs around Noiz's waist, hands coming up to grip on his shoulders as the switched position allowed Noiz to plunge deeper into him. Clearly he was taking advantage of it, the heated metal on the base of his cock hitting Aoba's entrance with every rough movement against him.

“You like that? You want me to fuck you until you're screaming?” The sounds in Aoba's ears were rough and desperate, all heavy pants and barely contained wildness. He nodded eagerly, trying his best to rock against the part of Noiz inside him, passing by his prostate with every thrust. He was so close to the edge, feeling like all he would need was a small push, but Noiz's lips silenced him before he coud voice his needs out loud. His back arched as Noiz panted into his mouth, tongue basically licking everywhere it could reach from the backs of Aoba's teeth to the insides of his cheeks, only stopping to play with the smaller man's own tongue, entwining them together. Aoba felt a line of drool drip down the side of his mouth but he couldn't care less, too focused on the sweet pleasure Noiz was giving him.

When Noiz's hand touched his dick, Aoba let out the sweetest sound Noiz had ever heard, full of desperation and need for more. It turned into a strangled groan when the fingers slid down to his base, gripping hard enough to stop the release that was building up in his lower body. Aoba opened his eyes, confused and with tears dwelling in them. Noiz was staring at his face, eyes lidded with pleasure and face completely devoid of its usual apathetic mask. He shot Aoba a small smile before burying his head into the crook of Aoba's neck.

“You're close, right? I- together,” the words were shaking and stuttering and Aoba had no choice but to mindlessly nod, even if the building pressure wa starting to physically hurt. It only took a few more precise thrusts for the hand to release his straining dick, instead moving to pump it. Aoba felt fingers spreading the excess precum all over his length, a small puddle already having formed on his stomach. A sharp press of a nail against his slit was all it took before he was coming, back arching and lips moaning Noiz's name. Noiz kept fucking into him while his hand milked out every last drop of cum left in his body, kept touching him until he was squirming to get away from the overwhelming feeling. Aoba tightened around him and soon he felt Noiz's cock swell slightly before his pace stuttered, slowing down to small, shallow thrusts as he came inside him. Aoba let out a small, exhausted whimper at the faint feeling of Noiz's release coating up his insides, threatening to drip onto the sheets as soon as Noiz pulled out and collapsed next to him on the bed.

They laid there for a few moments, attempting to catch their breaths while staring at the ceiling. Once he felt his lungs actually had air in them again, Aoba let out a tired whine.

“Ugh... Now I'm gonna need a shower,” he muttered mostly to himself. He turned his head to the side when Noiz let out a snort. His eyes were focused upwards but their attention shifted when he felt Aoba looking at him. The mere sight nearly took Aoba's breath away. Noiz's face was still flushed, his chest heaving up and down, and the dreamy look in his eyes was something Aoba hadn't seen before and couldn't quite pinpoint it. Maybe affection?

Noiz lifted a hand to brush it through the sweat-slicked bangs tangled on Aoba's forehead before a smirk spread on his face.

“You look like a mess,” there was still a slight tremble to his voice.

“... I feel like a mess,” Aoba said, “and whose fault is that?” He raised a hand to pinch at Noiz's nose. He let out a nasally grunt, and Aoba couldn't help but laugh. Noiz pouted for a moment before he turned to his side, body completely facing Aoba. He wrapped a hand around Aoba's waist and lazily pulled him closer, laying a small kiss against the side of Aoba's head.

“Still, that was so good. You looked so hot just then,” his words made Aoba blush, though he was sure it wasn't even visible with the entirety of his face and upper chest still flushed. He pressed his face against Noiz's warm chest and felt him pull a blanket over them, cuddling closer as he wrapped his hands around Aoba's smaller frame.

“I still need to take that shower,” his voice was nothing but a quiet mutter, and Noiz was no better off.

“You can just take one in the morning. Stay,” Noiz's words were too tempting to ignore, especially when his body was so warm against Aoba's and his voice slurred out like they were physically difficult to say. Aoba groaned.

“I guess. I'm gonna feel so gross tomorrow, though.”

“Goodnight, Aoba,” he could barely hear the words, mind already half asleep.

“Mm. G'night.”

 -

Aoba woke up as the first beams of light hit his face. He was usually a deep, sound sleeper but he had the tendency to wake up once in a while, if only to change his position and go back to drooling on his pillow. As he moved to do just that, Aoba realised there was something holding him still, making it hard to move even an inch. Only then did he register the warmth pressing against his back and sides, the body behind him locking him tight against Noiz. The blanket had slipped down to their hips at some point of the night, baring their upper bodies and giving Aoba a good view of the arms locked around him.

For a moment he just looked at them before lazily lifting his hand, bringing it to Noiz's arm to draw gentle patterns against it. The texture against his skin was rough and uneven, the white scars crisscrossing through Noiz's arms and wrists something Aoba hadn't noticed before. Along his bent fingers, it hurt Aoba to even think what might have caused them, why Noiz was as scarred on the outside as he seemed to be on the inside. It was something Aoba had thought about before, but he really didn't know Noiz as well as he'd liked. Every time he thought he'd found out something new about him, something else popped up and Aoba was thrown off the loop again.

He was trailing the tip of his index finger on a rather prominent line going vertically up one of Noiz's wrists when he felt him stir. Aoba called out his name, quiet. He felt Noiz press a small kiss against the back of his neck, along with some German so muttered and low Aoba couldn't begin to understand a word. A small smile spread on Aoba's face at the sweet gesture.

He carefully turned himself around, making sure not to disturb the sleeping man. His own eyelids were heavy but he forced to keep them open for a few more seconds, taking in the way Noiz's face relaxed as he slept. Aoba dimly realised Noiz looked his age for once, and he would have described him as innocent had he not known better. Still, the sight of pale eyelashes fanning out against his pallid skin was enough to make Aoba's heart ache. He laid small kisses on the dark areas underneath Noiz's eyes, smiling at the way the younger man scrunched up his face in his sleep. And as Aoba gave in to sleep once again, he couldn't help but think this was something he could definitely get used to, especially if Noiz was willing to stay.

 -

They were lounging on his small, worn couch, Aoba's feet on Noiz lap as he absentmindedly stroked his fingers over them again and again. The silence around them was comfortable, warm even. For once Noiz wasn't wearing one of his extremely expensive looking suits (though Aoba had to admit, they fit him like a glove), instead opting for something a bit more casual. The green shirt seemed to be in perfect harmony with the intensity of his eyes and Aoba relished in the way the younger man looked. It all felt so domestic, and he couldn't help but wish they could just spend all of their days like this. Deep down they both knew it wasn't possible, that there was really nothing normal about their situation. Their short moments together were sometimes filled with passionate kisses and feverish whispers, and sometimes they were soft, gentle kisses pressed to a cheek and warm hands wrapping around an equally warm body.

And every time Aoba looked at Noiz he felt so conflicted about his decisions. His lease was coming to an end in a little over a week, the plane ticket back to Midorijima already booked and purchased. Noiz knew, and despite his offer to pay for his rent a while longer, Aoba had to refuse. He needed to go back, needed to see his friends and family and get on with his life after being away for so long. What hurt him the most was that he was still not sure if he was coming back, or if he'd ever see Noiz again. He wished the situation was different from the bottom of his heart.

His thoughts were interrupted as Noiz broke the silence.

“I think I'm going to file for a divorce,” the words were quiet and spoken slow, like Noiz was carefully calculating every syllable leaving his mouth. Aoba's eyes widened almost to the point where it would've looked comical to Noiz had it not been for the situation.

“Y-you... What?” Aoba's mouth was hanging open just slightly. Sitting up straight, he pulled his feet away from Noiz who reluctantly let go of him.

“You heard me,” he said, voice smaller than what Aoba was used to hearing from the other man, but he still managed to shrug like it was no big deal, like they were talking about something as simple as the weather.

Aoba ran his hand through the hair falling on his forehead.

“Noiz, you can't just-” he left the sentence hanging, the once comfortable air turning heavy in mere seconds. Surely, Noiz had to be kidding, right?

“Can't what?”

“Can't just say something like that out of the blue!” Aoba wished he hadn't raised his voice as he witnessed the way Noiz transformed in front of his very eyes, turning on an invisible shield between the two.

“...Why not?” His eyebrows knit together. In any other situation Aoba would have found the action enticing.

“Because. This is your marriage we're talking about. You shouldn't just give it up over something like this,” the words had left Aoba's mouth without thinking, and they hurt even himself.

“Something like this,” Noiz's voice fell flat.

“I mean... I'm leaving in a couple of weeks, and you have your family and wife and I just- I know you could make it work if you just tried,” Aoba hoped Noiz couldn't hear the faint tremble in his voice.

“But I don't want to make it work if it's not with you,” Noiz's honesty went straight to Aoba's chest and he ached to lean closer to the other, to give in, but his stubborness wouldn't let him. He let out an exasperated sigh of his name. They both knew it had to end eventually, and Aoba figured it was best to do it quick, like ripping off a bandaid. It was something that had been nagging at Aoba since the very beginning, but his thoughts always seemed to grow hazy around Noiz, driving the inevitability out of his mind whenever they were together.

“No. I can't have you ruin your reputation and possibly your entire life over me. You have to understand that, right?”

“No,” the words sounded final. “If I have to choose between you and everyone else, it's gonna be you.”

“Fuck, Noiz... You're not-,” Aoba felt his eyes prickling, but he absolutely refused to cry in front of Noiz. “I think you should leave.”

His voice was far from steady, but he still managed to bite out the words. The sharp inhale he heard was enough to tell him Noiz hadn't been expecting it. Even if Aoba couldn't look at him, he could still tell Noiz was staring right at him. He realised he was waiting for Aoba to take his words back, to maybe apologise and ask him to stay. It was now or never, and Aoba steeled his face as the harsh words left his mouth.

“I don't- I don't want this. Please, just leave.” Lies. He knew everything he'd just said was a blatant lie and deep down he hoped Noiz knew it as well. He almost raised a hand to stop Noiz as he got up from the couch, almost called after him as watched him walk out the door without even grabbing the jacket he'd worn earlier.

He thought he'd done the right choice, stopping Noiz from making his life even more difficult just because of Aoba, so why did it hurt so much to hear the apartment door clicking shut?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> (just two more chapters to go yay)


	4. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry for being late as shit with this one, work and personal life have just eaten away all my energy. Can't remember the last time I didn't take a nap after coming home.   
> Not 100% happy with this chapter but I just really needed to get it out because the last part is already finished and probably coming out at the same time as this.   
> (note: I actually like Noiz's wife quite a bit. I just really really suck at writing ocs haha)

Noiz didn't even bother trying to hide the fact he hadn't been home the entire night, casually walking through the door and straight towards the smaller guest bedroom, hoping he wouldn't run into Heidi. He didn't want to be there anyways, but had little choice after Aoba had thrown him out. Noiz didn't particularly fancy crashing at his parents' house, either.

Aoba... Made him feel. It was the best way he could describe it. He'd been isolated from everyone his entire life, both physically and mentally, and in doing so he'd also been forced to cut off all lingering attachments. Feelings had never been his thing, and neither had caring.

Still, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy, so cared about, nor could he remember the last time he'd cared this much about a single person. Aoba was slowly but surely becoming his everything, his reason to get up in the morning even when life was beating him down. Until now it had always been because it was something that had been expected of him, something he'd done for Theo. He'd really thought he could've played his part despite never wanting to.

It wasn't like he'd planned to run into Aoba, or sleep with him for that matter. But it had happened, and despite everything, he didn't regret it a bit.

He didn't even realise a small smile had found its way to his face before it was wiped away by a door opening next to him.

He'd apparently used up all his luck as the familiar woman soon appeared in front of him, arms crossed and a small scowl on her face.

“You didn't come home last night,” she said, standing right in front of Noiz and blocking his path. He could've easily pushed past her but for once he didn't feel like starting even more trouble.

“So?” He shrugged. She let out a sigh.

“So, people are already starting to talk. It's almost been a month and no one's seen us together in public more than once! Do you know what the papers are starting to say?” She asked, talking so fast Noiz almost had trouble catching up to her. Despite her words, her choice of tone told Noiz she wasn't too keen on the subject.

He shrugged again, staring at the woman in front of her. Noiz supposed he understood why people called her beautiful, but she was just as cold to Noiz as he was to her. He wasn't even sure who had been the one to start it, but their incompability had been clear since day one.

“I was working,” Noiz said, voice steady. He just wanted to keep Aoba out of this, especially now. Heidi shook her head.

“No, you weren't. I called the office when you didn't show and they said you'd left hours ago. So where were you?” There was a strange hint of desperation in her voice.

“...” Noiz was silent. She called his name, his birth name, the one word he despised more than almost anything. In all his life it had meant nothing but trouble, and this time was no different.

“Nowhere,” was his final response before he straightened his posture, hoping she'd just let it slide. No such luck.

“Don't you realise what's at stake here if this doesn't work out? Pretty much the entire fate of our companies depends on this and you're ruining it by running off to god knows where,” she said, blue eyes staring straight into Noiz's. Upon receiving no answer she let out a defeated sigh.

“Fine, just, whatever. Do what you want. Just don't get me involved in it,” she said before moving aside, letting Noiz walk past her. He'd already thought he was in the clear, hands showed into his pockets as he walked away as fast as he could, when she spoke one last time.

“And don't let people know you're cheating, you'll ruin both of our reputations. Better yet, just stay away from him,” she said, emphasising the last words. Noiz had to use up all of his remaining willpower to not turn around and walk straight out the door he'd just come from. There was no way he was ever giving up what he had, even if it was selfish of him. Even if he didn't deserve it.

And as he sat on his bed, the hardly used mattress giving out a sad sound underneath his weight, Noiz tried to stop himself from thinking about the possibility that maybe Aoba really didn't want him anymore.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooo two chapters in one day, yay? Final chapter as well, I hope it's okay!  
> (also includes some of the cheesiest, cringeworthy lines I've ever written)

Aoba really wished he'd handled the situation differently. He had no choice but to admit he'd made a mistake, one that had affected his mood greatly enough for Ren to notice despite Aoba's attempts at acting completely normal. Then again, hiding his thoughts had never really been his strong suit.

The next week was one of the hardest in his life. He hadn't heard a word from Noiz, something he should've excpected after what went down but as the days passed, he still felt disappointed when he didn't receive the regular good morning texts the other man would usually send. Maybe Noiz had really realised what was best for everyone and decided to live out his life the way someone else had planned it. Aoba cuddled deeper into the jacket in his arms, brushing his nose against it to find a patch that hadn't lost the scent he'd gotten accustomed to in the past month.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Startled, he got up and checked his appearance from the mirror before reaching for the door. He tried to smooth down the mess that was his hair, cursing whoever felt the need to knock on someone's door when it was already nearing midnight.

He threw open the door without looking through the small hole, ready to reprimand the person behind it because did they have any idea how late it was and he could've already been asleep and-

All thoughts about scolding disappeared as soon as he swung open the door. On the other side was Noiz, with his head bent down to stare at the tiled floor, obscuring his face from Aoba's eyes. Aoba let out a small breath, standing still like he was afraid Noiz might disappear if he moved an inch. After a few seconds, Noiz spoke.

“Can I come in?” Aoba could only nod and step aside, inviting Noiz in and watching as he walked past him. He still wouldn't look at him and it worried Aoba. They stood in silence in the small hallway, neither quite knowing what to say. Aoba barely heard Noiz when he spoke, his voice sounding oddly muffled.

“Can I sleep here for the night?” Aoba nodded again before realising Noiz probably couldn't see him. He cleared his throat.

“Of course,” after another moment of silent observation, he noticed how pale Noiz actually looked, even compared to his usual self. “Noiz? What's wrong?”

His words were met with a shook of Noiz's head. He took a quick step back when Aoba instinctively reached out for his face.

“What is it? Noiz, why won't you look at me?” He'd been so shocked to see Noiz standing on his doorstep, but also so, so glad, the man in question having occupied most of his thoughts in the recent days. But now, with Noiz recoiling before Aoba could so much as touch him, he wasn't sure if he could handle it. He knew he'd brought it upon himself but did Noiz... Did Noiz really not want him anymore?

“It's nothing. Sorry, I just needed a place to sleep at. Didn't know where else to go,” he said before letting out a whine Aoba was sure he would've missed if his focus hadn't been completely on him. One firm yet concerned mention of his name was enough to get Noiz finally look up. Aoba let out a gasp at the sight, his blood freezing over.

In short, Noiz looked like a wreck. The dark circles under his eyes were larger than he remembered, his skin almost white, but that wasn't what caught Aoba's attention. At first, his eyes focused on the stream of dried blood going from the corner of his mouth down to his jaw, where it had smeared out like Noiz had been trying to wipe it off without success. His left cheek was swollen and red and as Aoba got closer, he could see the indentation of a ring on it. That'd explain why Noiz clearly had trouble speaking clearly. And last but not least, there was a black eye already starting to form, the swell and darkened skin making it rather obvious. Noiz was looking back at Aoba with a cautious look in his eyes, but clearly did his best not to flinch when Aoba reached his palm towards his uninjured cheek, cradling his head against it.

“W- what the hell happened to you?” Aoba was in shock, staring up at the wounded features of his lover. He wanted to turn his head away to lose the sight but found himself unable to do so. Noiz scoffed.

“Like I said, it's nothing,” Aoba didn't believe him for a second.

“Noiz, please,” his voice was desperate, barely hiding his own pain. Noiz must have realised it too, as he leaned against the hand on his face, nosing it almost like a cat would before saying anything.

“Heidi told my father I was cheating on her,” he said, voice a lot steadier than Aoba would have hoped. Unaffected, almost.

“He... Your dad did this?” Aoba couldn't believe his ears. Sure, Noiz hadn't told him much about his family and from the little he had, Aoba had been able to piece together the fact that Noiz wasn't exactly close to anyone besides his brother. But not seeing eye to eye with your son was a completely different thing than actually hurting him. Noiz nodded, looking away.

“It doesn't matter anyways,” he said. Aoba tilted his head.

“Of course it matters! What kind of a bastard would do this to his own son?” He knew his words were harsh, but they were true. “Does it hurt?” He knew it was a stupid question, of course it would've hurt, but he asked anyways, desperate to keep Noiz talking. To his surprise, Noiz shook his head.

“It's not like I can feel it,” the words didn't make any sense to Aoba. He grabbed Noiz's hand and led him to sit down on the couch before doing the same.

“What do you mean?”

“I can't feel it,” Noiz let out a bitter laugh. “I can't feel shit.”

Aoba was baffled. He felt like he could only stare at Noiz, confused. The words leaving Noiz's mouth were clear, but he still couldn't understand. It made no sense to him. Noiz must've noticed the conflicted look on his face.

“It's nothing, really. Just something I was born with.”

“I-” Aoba didn't know what to say. “I'm gonna get something to clean your face with.”

He stood up before Noiz could say anything else, heading for the kitchen where he thought he'd seen a first aid kit once. Noiz was still sitting in the same spot when he returned a moment later, carrying the small bag in his hand. Kneeling down on the foor in front of Noiz, he gently lifted his head, giving Noiz an icebag wrapped in a kitchen towel.

“Here, this should help with the swelling.”

“I don't need-”

“Yes you do!” Aoba's words cut him off. He could see the way Noiz's eyes just barely widened.

“I- sorry. Just, Noiz, please,” he said, and something in his face must have convinced that even if Noiz couldn't feel it, Aoba was feeling the pain for him. He reluctantly lifted the bag and pressed it against his swollen eye while his other one was sharply trained on Aoba. He soaked a pad of cotton with hydrogen peroxide, bringing it to the cut on Noiz's cheek.

“This might sting a bit,” he warned him just in case before gently pressing against the cut. The way Noiz didn't even flinch hurt Aoba, realising he really couldn't feel it at all. He cleaned the wound the best he could before moving on to wipe the dried blood from his jaw, making sure the cut inside his mouth wasn't bleeding anymore. Once he was done, Aoba packed away the things he'd used, about to stand up when Noiz grabbed his wrist. He was pulled closer to the younger man before he could even comprehend what was going on. Noiz pressed a tiny kiss on Aoba's lips, pulling away before he could respond. He turned his head to look away.

“... Sorry,” and Aoba suddenly realised how utterly exhausted Noiz really looked, like he hadn't been sleeping properly for days. Aoba suspected he probably didn't look any better himself. He was about to tell Noiz it was okay, that he had no reason to apologise, but over the short time they'd spent together Aoba had come to notice Noiz seemed to understand action better than words. So instead, he climbed up to carefully straddle Noiz, ignoring the confused look he shot him as he reached a hand behind Noiz's head, pulling it down to rest against his chest. He pressed a kiss against the crown of his hair.

“No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thrown you out,” Aoba said, sure Noiz could hear the beating of his heart pick up. “I can't help but to feel this is somehow my fault.”

Noiz looked up at the words.

“It's not though? And besides, it happened already so there's no use pointing fingers,” he said before letting out a small, barely concealed yawn. “The couch fair game?” Noiz asked, his own hands encircling Aoba's waist for a moment. Aoba realised Noiz was actually hesitant, probably afraid Aoba was going to reject him again.

“You can just- I mean, uh. There's probably enough space in my bed for you as well,” he hoped his words weren't too awkward or mumbled out. Aoba stood up before reaching a hand out for Noiz to grab, pulling the injured man up from the couch and lead him to the bedroom in silence. Noiz was quiet again, not even bothering to tease Aoba for his stuttering words. As they got rid of their clothes Aoba checked on Noiz from the corner of his eye, making sure there weren't any more new marks on his body. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Noiz seemed just a bit skinnier than the last time he'd seen him.

Aoba was struck by a sudden feeling of not knowing what to do when they pair slipped under the covers. Usually when they ended up like this it was a result of something passionate, heavy breathing and the smell of sweat and sex still lingering in the air. But now there was only warmth. Noiz was always so warm in every way, even if he didn't seem to realise it himself. With that thought in mind he shuffled closer to Noiz, the tips of their noses almost touching as they stared at each other. The younger man opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but snapped it shut only a moment later, hesitant.

“Tell me,” Aoba's voice was nothing more than a mere whisper. Noiz averted his gaze and swallowed once before looking back at him.

“Thank you,” the words sounded strange, like they were something completely new to him.

“For what?”

“For... Being here, I guess. For not freaking out about the whole feeling thing like everyone else did,” something about the words rung weird to Aoba's ears.

“Like everyone else?”

“Mm. I used to hurt people a lot without realising it when I was younger. Not being able to feel- I mean, I can kind of feel, sometimes, but it's more like I'm being touched through a thick material or something. My parents thought it best to just keep me away from everyone else,” Noiz's eyes were looking at Aoba's face, searching for something Aoba wasn't sure of. He reflexively closed his eyes when he felt one of Noiz's hands caress his cheek.

“That's- How?” He wasn't sure if his words even made sense.

“They built me a room with everything I needed and then locked the door. They hired tutors to teach me. I only got out when I turned 18.”

So Noiz had been locked up until a year ago, living alone in isolation because of something that wasn't his fault in the first goddamn place. The thought made Aoba's blood boil. He wanted to go and scream at someone, at his parents for doing something like that to a child, at the people who knew but did nothing, but one look at Noiz was enough to calm him for now. He really did look his age for once underneath the bruised face. Aoba realised he was looking at a teenager who had been deprived of socialization for years only to be thrown right out into the world with nothing but his own walls to protect him.

“How could they do that to their own child?” Aoba drew in a deep breath to calm himself. The last thing either of them needed right now was more stress and shouting.

“I don't blame them. I was horrible. And now I'm troubling you,” Noiz said. He let out a small sound when Aoba locked his hands behing his head again, bringing him closer, stroking the soft hair through his fingers.

“You're not-” he took another breath to be able to speak, “You're not troubling me. You did nothing wrong, okay? It's not fair, the way they treated you. I- fuck, Noiz...” His voice broke. “You deserve so much better.”

He could feel Noiz wanted to protest but he simply hugged him tighter against his chest. He felt a pang of warmth when Noiz's arms tentatively wrapped around him, returning the embrace.

They stayed like that for another moment, Noiz talking quietly into the soft fabric of Aoba's shirt.

“I didn't want to marry her. It was all my parents, something about everyone benefitting from uniting the most prominent families in Germany. I don't know. I-” Noiz paused for a moment, his voice turning colder in a second.

“I figured they'd be proud of me if I did this. I don't really care what they think, but... They kept going on about how much trouble I was and how Theo couldn't get married before me,” his voice softened when Aoba brushed his hands through Noiz's hair, his words stuttering like he wasn't quite sure how to frase what he wanted to say.

“But then you were there and you had no clue who I was. It's just- I don't know what it was. Your smile drew me in like a moth to a flame and I figured if I was going to burn, I'd at least burn down fighting. I don't regret it, but I'm sorry for dragging you into this.”

“It's fine. I mean, what you did is not fine, cheating on someone is not fine at all, but... Ah, how should I say this? I don't really regret it either.” Aoba wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say in their situation, but he didn't want to give it any further thought when he felt Noiz's arms tighten around him. Surprisingly, Noiz kept on talking and Aoba listened, making note of everything he said and pressing the details deep into his mind.

Eventually Aoba could hear Noiz's words beginning to slur more than before and felt his own eyes droop, suggesting they turn in for the night and continue tomorrow. He was already dancing on the line of being awake and asleep when Noiz spoke, so quiet Aoba wasn't sure if he'd actually spoken or if it was just a figment of his imagination.

“I think I love you. Please don't leave me.”

 

It all felt like a distant dream when morning came. But the arms around him told Aoba it was far from a dream, anchoring him deep into reality. Yesterday had really happened and if he were to turn around, he'd see Noiz's sleeping face and the nasty looking cuts marring his beautiful features. But instead of doing what he really wanted, turning around and catching a few more hours of sleep, Aoba carefully extracted himself from the embrace. He shivered at the cool air while pulling on a pair of pyjama pants and a t-shirt he speculated Noiz might have left in his apartment a couple weeks ago. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, he grabbed Ren with him from the couch and turned his Allmate on.

Ren greeted him with a “good morning, Aoba,” before walking around the kitchen, seemingly confused as to how he ended up there when he'd fallen asleep on the couch. Aoba greeted him back before shushing him, informing Ren of the sleeping man in the next room. Ren nodded.

“Do you know if we have any breakfast ingredients?” Aoba couldn't remember the last time he'd bought something that wasn't instant noodles or fast food, living alone in a foreign country making him get a bit sloppy with his diet. Ren was silent for a moment.

“I believe there should still be some muesli in the cupboard and yoghurt from last week in the fridge,” he finally said, having scanned through the shopping lists Aoba had asked him to memorize. Aoba let out a small groan.

“I guess that'll have to do then. I wish I had something better to offer him though.”

“Aoba, is everything okay? Your mood seems to have changed since yesterday and my readers can't figure it if it's good or bad,” Ren sounded confused. Aoba let out a small laugh before he lifted Ren up. He pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes for a moment.

“It's fine, Ren. Thank you,” he put the dog down in favor of searching for the food. Ren was right, there was still a small cardboard package of raisin muesli in one of the cupboards, surrounded by mostly empty shelves. Aoba took out the yoghurt from the fridge, about to mix the two together when he felt a body press against his back, a small kiss pressed against his shoulder. He let out a startled yelp, almost dropping the food had it not been for Noiz's hand shooting up to steady him.

“Morning,” he mumbled against Aoba's skin, nosing his shoulder. Aoba turned around to give Noiz a small kiss on his cheek after checking his face. It seemed like the swelling had gone down slightly during the night but the black eye he was sporting still managed to get a wince out of Aoba.

“Morning. How are you feeling?” He managed to sneak away from under Noiz's embrace to prepare the breakfast. He signalled for Noiz to sit in a chair opposite to him as he poured the ingredients to a bowl and mixed them a bit. He pushed the bowl in front of Noiz just as he spoke.

“'m fine. Just tired,” he paused for a moment, his usual smirk slightly obscured by his uneven cheeks, “much better now with you here.”

Aoba let out a huff of breath before falling silent. He watched as Noiz ate the food given to him, carefully separating the raisins and setting them aside, scrunching up his nose whenever he accidentally ate one. Aoba had to smile at the action. Noiz wasn't a fuzzy eater, far from it, but there were still things he refused to eat without at least complaining a bit. Once he was done, Aoba asked him something he had been contemplating ever since he threw Noiz out. Noiz's head shot up, looking at Aoba with a strangely uncharacteristic expression.

“You... What?” Aoba had to look away, unable to face Noiz head on.

“It was just an idea. I mean, the flight isn't leaving until next week so it should still be possible to get a ticket and I just- nevermind, I'm just being stupid again,” he shook his head. Noiz was quiet for a moment.

“Okay.” It was just a single word but it influenced Aoba in a way he hadn't thought possible.

“Are you sure? Your whole life's here, your work, your-” Aoba hesitated, “your family. Wouldn't Theo be sad?”

“My whole life doesn't have to be here. It could just be wherever you are, if you'll allow it,” Noiz said, face showing nothing but it's usual seriousness. Aoba had no idea how he could just say stuff like that with a straight face. And apparently he'd voiced the thought out loud, as he witnessed the way Noiz's expression morphed into a grin.

“Does it bother you?” Aoba shook his head and hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt.

“N-not really.”

And as they worked out the details it became clear to Aoba that Noiz was completely serious about this, possibly even more than he was. It filled him with determination unlike anything he'd experienced, even more so than when he'd decided to come to Germany (he also made a mental note to thank Mizuki for persuading him later).

It was well into the afternoon when Noiz finally left the apartment, all dressed up and ready to go and set things straight. He brushed his knuckles against Aoba's face at the door.

“Well. See ya,” he gave Aoba one last peck on the lips and turned around to leave. Aoba built up his courage just enough to let out a weak “I love you too, you know.”

The faint blush and smile he witnessed as Noiz turned around to look at him was the best one he thought he'd ever live to see.

“Yeah.”

Aoba hoped he would be able to make Noiz smile like that for years to come.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! I have like ten different fic drafts sitting on my laptop so I'm gonna try and write some of those as well at some point. This was my first actually finished multi chapter fic and it shows but the way I see it, you can only get better by experience, right?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally editing the fics I wrote for nano last winter so this is technically finished already. I'll try to keep the upload rate as decent as I can with real life pushing me down but I'm probably going to end up with weekly updates.  
> First time actually finishing a sex scene. Sorry about that.


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